Last night I was out on my patio at like 4 am i saw 2 bright flashes of light coming from the sky, then it went away. It kind of looked like a shooting star but it had no bright streak behind it and it happened twice. Then i saw it again about five visual inches from where it first was and it flashed 3 times. I know it wasnt a plane because no light on a plane is that bright and they always have some other light that is always on so I couldve seen it moving but I didnt. Could this of been a satellite cruising around the orbit of the planet and turning so it reflected the sun?
2006-08-25 08:04:40 · 3 answers · asked by etherialdowntime024 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Most likely it was a man-made satellite that you saw. Not all of them are in geo-synchronous orbit. They orbit at various heights relative to the earth.
2006-08-25 08:18:08 · answer #1 · answered by Candidus 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't sound like a satellite to me. Satellites look like stars that move at a steady, constant rate across the sky. They shine by reflecting sunlight, so they usually stay the same brightness. Perhaps it was an iridium flare? I thought those were all gone, but I could be wrong. Here's a link to a picture of one and a good explanation of what they are:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980402.html
2006-08-25 08:42:39 · answer #2 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a satellite.
2006-08-25 08:12:33 · answer #3 · answered by krkretz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋